


Pink Peonies and White Dittanies

by Hansine



Series: It Takes Two to Tango [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, F/M, Loss of Virginity, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 08:12:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15904356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hansine/pseuds/Hansine
Summary: Gaius, hacker extraordinaire, never thought he’d ever see the day where he’d date someone he was head over heels in love with. Or that he could even be head over heels in love with anybody. Then he met Olivia, the sweetest, kindest, and most patient woman to ever deal with him. And they’ve both been dancing around the idea of actually (finally) moving onto the next step in their relationship.Gaius/ Olivia.Companion piece to Ink and Moonshine. Best read after chapter 20 for context.





	Pink Peonies and White Dittanies

**Author's Note:**

> I’m back! In between posting this and the latest chapter of Of Lilies and Silver Linings, I did a lot of planning for that fic and Ink and Moonshine so I know more or less how everything is going to pan out :o Still a while to go yet for those two, so just because I know how it’s going to end doesn’t mean that it’s in sight xD
> 
> I was trying to write as much as I could before my surgery, but I got into a planning mood (for my fics and my original work that you can take a gander at on my [writeblr](http://isananna-writes.tumblr.com)), but I’m fine now and am able to rest well and do light, not physically strenuous activities so here’s to hoping now that dealing with my nose is mostly settled, here’s to hoping I can now more easily carve out time to write!
> 
> Thanks Chrobin enthusiast, ChiiBee, Rythen, Saraphine, criticaljohnson, and nimuesnow for letting me know that there’s some modicum of interest for these two in this AU.
> 
> This is written mostly using Gaius’ POV, since he’s the one doing all the internal monologuing and planning and generally just the more active character xD Also known as the one I am making S U F F E R. Kind of :3c
> 
> As you may recall, in the notes of c20 of IaM, one of the meanings of pink peonies are romance and romantic love and white dittanies are supposed to represent love and passion, favorite of men to give to women as a representation of their desire, and is supposed to be an aphrodisiac.
> 
> I hope you guys all enjoy and if there are any other pairings or scenes you’re interested in to find out more, don’t hesitate to let me know in a comment <3

Gaius checked his watch. Robin should be here any minute with her adorable corgi and giant overnight bag in tow. It was like the dog was their baby, but he did know a couple of officemates who treated their pets like they were their kids. The thought sometimes crossed his mind. If he ever moved in together with Olivia, at some point down the road he’d ask her if she wanted to expand their home by getting a pet. She was it for him. There was no one else who could follow. If she ever realized that she could do better, he wasn’t sure what he’d do.

 

But if any of the nuggets of wisdom from Robin were anything to go by, he wouldn’t have to worry about that. Sweet, shy Olivia was at least equally as interested as he was but he was holding himself back a little. He didn’t want to scare her off, and he certainly wasn’t in this relationship just because he wanted to sleep with her. Still, he’d be lying if he said it didn’t cross his mind time and again, pulling out his house keys and opening the door to a smiling wife and maybe a kid.

 

He realized he was getting ahead of himself but he fell for Olivia. Hard. The fact that she liked to bake and feed him her experiments certainly didn’t make things any easier on that front but he was at least able to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself. Mostly. No need to give Robin any more ammunition to tease him relentlessly. Every time she met up with him, especially with Olivia, there was a devilish and amused gleam in her eyes that just screamed happiness and affectionate sibling teasing.

 

Then came the knock that snapped him out of his thoughts, the characteristic rapping something they’d developed back when they were still teenagers, during their awkward dating phase when they didn’t want Cassandra to know. It was embarrassing to say the least.

 

“Coming, coming!”

 

The chair scraped against the floor, knocked back as Gaius stood up to let his best friend, and her loveable dog, into his place.

 

.

.

.

.

 

“Speaking of dogsitting, Bubbles I’m insulted you’ve never left this furball with me!”

 

“Frederick and Cherche live closer, and it was always just for a few hours or an evening.” Robin stuck her tongue out again, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

 

“He makes the best wingman!”

 

Robin groaned.

 

“What did I just say about Olivia?”

 

“Precisely. Olivia loves this dog and having him over means she’s probably going to sleep over the entire time you and Blue are off gallivanting in Maldives!”

 

She blinked. Not that she expected them to wait until marriage before having sex. She’d talked about it, vaguely, with Olivia and she hadn’t slept with Gaius yet. Or anyone for that matter.

 

“You haven’t—”

 

“Nope. Not until she’s ready. I mean I hope it’s sooner rather than later, but not until she’s ready.” He grinned, ear to ear, looking up at Robin.

 

“Oh you big sweetheart.” Robin leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m sure Olivia is. She’s just scared and nervous, but that’s normal. She hasn’t—”

 

“And you got mad for me talking about, sort of, your sex life!” He pointed an accusatory finger at her.

 

“Hey she brought it up okay. I’m just telling you what I can without betraying her confidence.” Robin stuck her tongue out before turning on her heel, making her way to the door.

 

“Traitor!”

 

“Make her feel comfortable, Gaius! If you want sharing a bed with your girlfriend to have any chance of becoming something more than the two of you literally in bed together, then you’ll be the most romantic gentleman you’ve ever been,” Robin called out, halfway out the door but body in a half-twist to look at her best friend. “Give her a bouquet of pink peonies and white dittanies! She’ll know what they mean.”

 

“Just go on your romantic vacation with your boyfriend already!”

 

Robin laughed, closing the door shut with a resounding click.

 

Gaius placed the drowsy dog on the couch, heaving himself off of it to lock the door, phone in hand and googling what pink peonies and white dittanies meant. He laughed and slid against his locked front door when he saw what the second flower meant. Other than their life circumstances, this was exactly the reason why Robin was his best friend.

 

Luckily, there was a florist a couple of blocks away from his building, it was still early enough to pass by, and he actually had the day off tomorrow for a mandatory audit of his work. He knew Olivia’s Friday classes were all morning classes, leaving the rest of the afternoon free. Plans were already whirling in his head by the time he had his hand on Whiskey’s head, waking the dog up.

 

“Want to go out for a walk?” He grinned, Whiskey suddenly wide awake at the prospect of going out.

 

His plan was simple. Go out and make tomorrow afternoon as sweet and as romantic as possible. He’d be lying if he said the idea of finally having sex with his girlfriend wasn’t a motivation, but knowing that Olivia was open enough to tell Robin about her feelings for him was more than enough motivation for him to put in effort to plan a spur of the moment romantic getaway, his only goal really to make sure that she was as comfortable as possible to tell him what she wanted. That was his only goal. Now if he happened to get more out of it, he wasn’t going to say no, but he wasn’t going to go out of his way to make sure that happened either. When he realized how happy, stupidly happy, she made him, that was all he ever wanted to do for her too.

 

Dog, keys, phone, and wallet in tow, Gaius made his way out of his building. There was a nice restaurant on the way to the florist too where he could make dinner reservations, hopefully. Though it wasn’t a place where he could bring Whiskey in, he was sure they at least allowed pets in as far as the reception area where he could arrange for tomorrow evening, and Whiskey was a generally well-trained house dog anyway. He could be left alone for a couple of hours, as long as he had food, water, his mat, and his bed all set up in a corner.

 

He had an uncharacteristic spring in his step when he finally reached the sidewalk. Whiskey tilted his head slightly, looking up at Gaius as the man stretched out his arms and lower back, making strangely satisfied noises as he cracked his joints, too many hours of the day spent seated in front of monitors.

 

Now he was going to do something he never thought he would ever do, something that was both terrifying and exciting at the same time.

 

“Whiskey, do you think this is how Bubbles feels?” Gaius looked down at the corgi walking beside him. “I guess. I mean, she is head over heels in love with Blue and at this point, honestly, I think I feel exactly the same way about Olivia.”

 

The corgi barked. Gaius swore it had an affirmative tone.

 

.

.

.

.

 

“Feel better?” Olivia rubbed Cherche’s lower back. The designer was a little over five months along, and her center of gravity and muscles were starting to get affected. Her doctor had suggested stretches to help and Olivia was luckily certified to teach prenatal and postnatal yoga, which made things all the better. Cherche’s job didn’t help any, with sitting at a desk all day designing or looking at either the books or notes for the next collection, or supervising model fittings and checking out their stockroom, Olivia was only more than happy to help out in her own little way.

 

“Yes. This is absolutely divine.” Cherche smiled gratefully, stretching out her arms before hugging herself, arching her back as Olivia kneaded deeper. “Thank you. I know I’m only going to get bigger but this already hurts. This one’s a kicker you see.”

 

“Swimming helps. Or even just being in the pool to help support the weight.”

 

“Does it? I should ask Frederick to bring me to a heated pool then.” The designer cradled her belly, sitting cross legged on the yoga mat, a little too lazy to stand up.

 

“I’m sure that’ll do wonders for your aching muscles as well.”

 

“You and Gaius should join us! I’d invite Chrom and Robin too but they’re off jet setting.” Cherche paused, looking up to regard the other woman’s face. “Speaking of, how are you two doing?”

 

“W-what do you mean?” She started to blush.

 

“Have you—”

 

“No, no!” As forthright, surprisingly, as she was with Robin and Cherche, she couldn’t seem to muster enough courage to tell Gaius that she was ready to move forward.

 

“You’ve wanted to for a while, darling. I’m sure he has too.”

 

“When you say it like that it makes it sound like I’m desperate,” Olivia groaned, plopping back down beside Cherche and leaning her head on her friend’s shoulder.

 

“In today’s world, women shouldn’t be afraid of telling their significant other what they want,” the designer said sagely, shifting around to pull Olivia into an embrace. “Or take what they want.”

 

“Cherche!” Olivia pulled away, her face bright red.

 

“I’m just teasing you.” She stuck out her tongue, ruffling Olivia’s hair affectionately. “But I’m not wrong that you’ve been wanting to tell him that you’re ready to move to the next step, am I? You’ve told me and Robin as much.”

 

Olivia nodded, the redness of her cheeks fading but her heart still beating wildly.

 

“Tell him. I’m not saying you should say this just so you could get laid.”

 

“Cherche!”

 

“Okay I’m saying this in part _because_ I think you should get laid, but it’s more than that.” She grinned, cheeky as she kissed Olivia’s temple affectionately. “You love the man right?”

 

“I do.”

 

“Well then tell him. If you’re not ready just yet, at least he knows where you stand. That you want to do it but are just feeling shy. He might be able to coax it out of you, and at least he knows how to manage his expectations. Now I’m not saying Gaius is a jerk and would take advantage of you in any way, believe me I’ll be first in line to castrate him if he does.”

 

Olivia smiled as she leaned into Cherche, not so much because she just offered to castrate her boyfriend but that she was fiercely protective of her. Even if she did just offer to castrate her boyfriend, an idea she couldn’t quite wrap her head around.

 

“Talk to him. It might seem weird but it’s better that you do. All relationships, whatever kind, are built on mutual trust.”

 

Just as Olivia was about to speak, her phone buzzed and lit up, moving around on the table across from them.

 

“I should get that. I’m expecting a text from one of my fellow teachers to see if she needs me to sub for her later tonight.”

 

She crawled the short distance from the mat to the side table, quickly grabbing her phone

_[04:35:12 PM] Hey Peaches. Are you free tomorrow afternoon?_

 

“Ooh what did Gaius say?” Cherche peered over Olivia’s shoulder.

 

“How do you know it’s him?”

 

“Darling, you have a different ring tone and message tone set for Gaius.” Cherche’s eyes glimmered, amused. “Of course it’s him. I’ve heard them before.”

 

Olivia blushed but didn’t reply. Of course she set a different tone for him. Every time they talked, she had butterflies in her stomach!

 

_[04:37:34 PM] Yup. 2pm okay? My last class ends around 11:30._

 

“Is it weird that I do that?” She looked imploringly at her friend.

 

“No, I think it’s cute honestly. Robin and I do it too, but you already know that.” She pursed her lips for a few moments before an almost wicked gleam shone on her face. “If it makes you feel any better, Chrom does it too. Frederick didn’t but I adjusted the settings on his phone.”

 

Olivia blinked. She didn’t think Chrom was the sentimental type, or at least sentimental enough to do that. Lost in her thoughts, her phone vibrating pulled her back. A picture popped up on her screen and Gaius’ olive eyes peered from behind a happy Whiskey.

 

“Oh my God that’s adorable!” Cherche laughed, clutching her growing belly. “Whiskey is the absolute cutest! We should get a dog. I heard having a pet is good for babies, helps build their immune system.”

 

She prattled on but Olivia didn’t hear her, her heart beating loudly and her lips stretching into a wide smile that it almost hurt. All her attention was focused on the message right below the picture of her boyfriend and his best friend’s dog.

 

_[04:40:02 PM] Great. I’ll pick you up at your place. Dress up nicely, wear comfortable shoes, and also bring a pair of nice shoes to change into for dinner! Love you._

.

.

.

.

 

Gaius was on cloud nine when Olivia texted back a smiley face and a heart emoji, after being a nervous wreck on the inside when he was making plans. It was all too sudden, not that he was particularly big on plans and schedules (that was Robin), but being entirely too impulsive wasn’t him either. There was generally a certain order with which things were to be done and having just a few hours to make sure everything was ready wasn’t enough time. He managed to get the last available reservation, after somehow sweet talking the hostess into letting it go in exchange for a coupon from Dolce he’d been holding onto. And just as he was going to pop open a cold can of beer, his phone buzzed.

 

_[05:15:32 PM] You better pull out all the stops: chocolate, wine, flowers, the whole shebang, mister. It better be romantic because she’s nervous as hell about what she wants even if we all know it. If Olivia ends up hurt in any way, shape, or form, Robin and I will be fighting as to who gets to castrate you first._

 

He knew she was going to be at Cherche’s for a couple of hours this afternoon, for a private yoga session, but he didn’t really think that this conversation was going to devolve into this. Although, he probably shouldn’t be surprised. With what he knew of Cherche, she was a fierce, fight me and die mama type with her friends, and Olivia was definitely one of them.

 

_[05:18:01 PM] Already have that part of the plan fixed, Mama Dragon. Don’t you worry your pretty little head off. It’s bad for the baby._

 

It was a little disconcerting that Olivia’s friends knew so much about their sex life, or lack thereof to be more accurate, but at the same time it was a bit of a relief. It meant she had friends she was completely open and relaxed with and made him want to work all the more so he could be the one she wanted to rely on for everything important. Granted this particular issue concerned him and it made sense she’d want to talk about her feelings regarding this with someone not him because she was so nervous and worried.

 

And that made her even more endearing to him.

 

Even if her friends happened to be some of the nosiest, but most well-meaning, people ever.

 

And one of those friends was his best friend slash sister who set him up with her.

 

“Fuck. I’m in deep aren’t I, Whiskey?” Gaius looked at Robin’s dog, the corgi staring back at him with bright, wide eyes and probably the canine equivalent of a smile.

 

.

.

.

.

 

“Coming!”

 

Olivia brushed back her bangs, examining herself in the mirror. She didn’t want to overdo it, but wanted to feel pretty and dolled up with light makeup and the gold drop earrings Gaius gave her for Christmas, the end of it a flat disc of gold like on the belt of belly dancer’s. She chose to wear a white floral wrap dress for the occasion, the slight butterfly sleeves flowy and flouncy, with delicate black piping around the neckline, closing over like a kimono. The flower design had an old world feel to it, with greens and pinks and purples and blacks like you’d find on a vintage tea set with the same motif. It had a very thin obi-like belt, made with the same material as the dress, with the same black piping, that cinched her waist in, secured with a neat bow at the back. She finished her looked with a pair of pale pink metallic linen classic sneakers, the white outsole still impeccable and unmarked.

 

“Hey Peaches.” Gaius leaned on her doorway, one arm overhead, the other stuffed in his jeans. He looked nice and a little sharper than usual: dark jeans, a taupe dress shirt with rolled up sleeves that was actually pressed with the top button popped, hair brushed and styled a bit with some sort of wax or pomade, and dark brown boat shoes with off white accents. Suffice it to say he dressed up for the occasion. He just needed to pull down his sleeves and put on a blazer and he’d be perfectly ready to go to a nice restaurant.

 

“Hi.” Olivia twiddled her fingers, cheeks flushing, as she looked up at him all wide eyed and breathless. She really wasn’t sure what was making her feel all nervous and fluttery and happy but there it was, simmering just under her skin, her boyfriend’s charming smile making everything feel stronger. She looked down, shyly, hands moving to fiddle with the end of her messy braid instead.  “Not overdressed am I?”

 

“You look perfect!” Gaius smiled warmly, reaching out and cupping her cheek to tilt her head upwards. “Absolutely perfect.”

 

He slanted his head down, pressing his lips against hers, and she easily melted into him, hands on his chest for stability. And just when Gaius was going to pull her even deeper, Whiskey barked, Olivia’s eyes snapping wide open as she pushed herself away from him, cheeks red and eyes dancing with a kind of light he wanted to be there forever.

 

“Hi boy!” Olivia crouched down, smoothing her skirt under her knees, and reaching out to the dog with her free hand. She smiled when he leaned into her touch, eyes closing and one hind leg tapping insistently on the floor as a show of satisfaction.

 

Gaius shook his head, amused.

 

“You’re lucky you’re cute you little furball.”

 

Whiskey barked, glad for the praise and the attention Olivia was lavishing over him.

 

.

.

.

.

 

They’d been walking arm in arm for a while now, their pace calm and measured, Whiskey taking his cue and not stretching out his leash to its full length. It was still nice and cool, summer not upon them just yet, as they enjoyed the last burst of spring. The trees were still flowering and the grass was still bright and fresh. The place Gaius chose was littered with a few other people, most of them in their own world, laughing as they enjoyed the rest of the afternoon.

 

“What are we doing here?” Olivia leaned in closer when breeze blew past them, her dress fluttering lightly behind her.

 

“The forecast said today was going to be good so I thought we’d have a picnic!” Gaius grinned, pulling her arm closer to his side as he continued to lead her along.

 

When they reached the tables, a scene right out of fancy magazines was laid out right in front of her. There was the large, red and white gingham picnic blanket spread diagonally across the picnic table, the worn planks peeking out from the sides, a closed wicker basket right on top. Off to the side were two tall glasses and her favorite rosé in a freezer sleeve.

 

“Surprise.” He leaned down to kiss her temple, eyes half closed as he took in her happy smile. “Just some light snacks because we have dinner plans after, but who can say no to a relaxing day at the park with rosé in our hands and a lively dog running around in front of us, hm?”

 

Olivia pulled away, confusion briefly flashing on Gaius’ face, but it melted away when she stood her ground in front of him. Gathering every ounce of courage, she tiptoed, kissing him softly, her heart warm and satisfied.

 

.

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.

 

“How did you manage to find the time to arrange all of that?” Olivia had her hands clasped behind her back, watching Gaius as he adjusted his deep chocolate sports jacket as they waited for the hostess. After the park, they made a stop at his apartment, dropping off an exhausted but thoroughly content Whiskey and leaving her sneakers in his place as she changed into nicer shoes: ballet pink sling back platform sandals with a round toe box and an ankle strap, the chunky heels making it easier to balance on. She was a little suspicious when he told her to just stay in the lobby instead of going up with him, but she relented.

 

“Now if I told you that, I’ll have to silence you somehow,” he replied playfully, holding out his hand for her to take.

 

She raised a brow but took his hand anyway, the warmth effusive. Before she could say anything, the hostess came back with a wide smile, arms folded gently in front of her.

 

“I do apologize for the wait but your table is ready now. Follow me please.”

 

It was a comfortable booth at the back, tucked in a quiet corner of the restaurant. There were two long tapered candles on the table, no menu to be seen anywhere.

 

“Should we start serving or would you like to settle down first?” the hostess inquired, tilting her head slightly.

 

Gaius stretched out his arm and checked his watch.

 

“You can start already. Thanks.”

 

She bowed slightly, warm smile on her face throughout, her gaze falling on Olivia briefly, almost like she was just a little bit jealous. Then again, almost all the tables set up in the restaurant were for two, the name of the place, Deux, reinforcing the theme.

 

“Shouldn’t we have menus or something?” Olivia pressed her palms down on her seat, leaning forward to look around for their server who hadn’t introduced himself yet.

 

“It’s all taken care of already Peaches. Just enjoy yourself.” Gaius grinned, watching his girlfriend frown in confusion. “I took the liberty of ordering everything beforehand.”

 

Olivia nodded slowly, surprise still on her face, but she settled herself down. Gaius was pulling out all the stops tonight and she wasn’t entirely sure what prompted this behavior. Still, it wasn’t unwelcome. Far from it, actually. It was nice seeing his sweet, thoughtful side, mostly hidden from others but not from her, never from her.

 

“Your appetizer and prosecco, Sir, Ma’am.” The server had suddenly appeared with a large tray in her hands, setting down the two glasses of sparkling wine and a bowl of what looked to be trail mix: a variety of crunchy, roasted nuts, some pretzel sticks, dried fruit, and hard shelled chocolate candy.

 

Dinner was quiet and romantic, filled with small talk and laughter. Their drinks were replaced for the main course and dessert, the sparkling wine paired with their prosecco poached salmon with cream sauce was a more acidic variety to cut through the richness, and when dessert came, their glasses were filled with a sweeter, fruitier kind to go with a white chocolate and strawberry chiffon cake.

 

Olivia was more than disappointed when everything was over, the pair of them walking hand in hand back towards his apartment. The entire thing was magical from start to finish, and the fact that it was almost over was looming darkly over her, her features darkening slightly at the thought.

 

“Hey, hey.” Gaius pulled her to a stop, bending down slightly as he twisted her to face him. His hands cupped her face, tilting her head upwards and forcing her to look at him. “What’s wrong? I thought you had a great time?”

 

Olivia bit her lower lip in response.

 

“Peaches? You’re scaring me. If there’s anything I did wro—”

 

“No! It’s not that.” Olivia cut him off, shaking her head as much as she could as she slipped her hands on top of his. “I… I just felt sad because this is all about to end.”

 

“End?” He blinked, a little surprised but pride swelling at how successful his plans had been so far. Let it never be said that he could never be thoughtful when it came to people he cared for, for people he loved, for the woman he loved. “My dear this is not yet the end.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Come on, let’s go back to my place. I have a surprise for you there.” He grinned wolfishly, leaning forward to kiss her on her forehead before letting one hand fall down to hers. Olivia laughed, smiled, as she let herself be led by him.

 

.

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.

.

 

Gaius had his hands over Olivia’s eyes the entire time, making sure they were shut, as he led her to the center of his living slash dining room. He knew she wasn’t one to spoil surprises but he wanted to be absolutely sure, not that his surprise was in this room. In the corner, Whiskey stirred, eyes sleepy but he remained unmoving.

 

“Stay there and wait. I’ll go get it.” His voice sounded a little deeper in her ears (maybe because her eyes were shut?) and Olivia found herself nodding slowly, unable to repress the growing smile on her face.

 

What was he up to? She could only imagine, what with the relaxing afternoon in Central Park and the amazing dinner they just had at Deux. She breathed in a soft floral scent moments into her musings, feeling the press of a bouquet against her chest and hearing the crinkling of its wrapping.

 

“Open your eyes, Peaches.” His voice was soft and a little nervous, but warm.

 

Between them was a big bouquet of flowers, Gaius’ warm olive eyes peeking just above.

 

“Bubbles said you’d know what this means.” He scratched the back of his head nervously, looking away with a faint blush on his cheeks.

 

Olivia glanced at the blooms between them, her expression a mix of embarrassment and affection but touched all the same. She knew Gaius wasn’t overly affectionate, and his confidence and bravado had always been charming to her, but this was a different side of him. Like he was trying to tell her he was all in, and just wanted her to know that.

 

“Um…” Olivia blushed, one hand over her chest like she was trying to slow down her heart.

 

The pink peonies were sweet and thoughtful, they were her favorite after all. They were a gorgeous, dainty flower that meant romance and romantic love, and that always struck a chord with her. Fairy tales were hard to be a part of, but ever since she met Gaius, she felt like she was in a never-ending one.

 

The white dittanies on the other hand, well, suffice it to say she understood the message behind them.

 

“I do,” she whispered, cupping his face, her thumbs brushing over his cheekbones. Olivia tiptoed and kissed him, Gaius stiffening slightly from surprise but easily relaxing into it, kissing her back in response. “And I want to.”

 

“You sure? I don’t want you to feel pressured. I just want you to know how I feel.” Gaius tilted his head down slightly, pressing his forehead against hers, his eyes never once losing focus on her.

 

“Yeah,” she murmured, lowering herself down gently, heels making a soft sound on the wooden floor. “I… I um… just didn’t know how to say it.”

 

“But you certainly found ways to tell Bubbles and Mama Dragon huh?” he teased lightly, placing the flowers on a nearby table, his free hand pulling at her waist to draw her in closer.

 

“I… I um… Well…”

 

Olivia panicked. She didn’t want to screw this up, because she didn’t have the discretion of keeping their private life together. She should have figured Robin and Cherche would somehow let their pleasure (or displeasure) with Gaius known to him. Her cheeks started to redden even further, heat starting to rise from her skin, but Gaius made no move to let her go. In fact, if she had been paying attention, she would have noticed his hand playing idly with her dress’s belt, his fingers rubbing slow, gentle circles on her.

 

“It’s fine, I’m just teasing you,” he breathed, tilting her back slightly to kiss her more deeply. Olivia’s eyes shut firmly in response, her hands fisting his shirt for balance.

 

“You’re mean you know that?” Despite her protestation, her eyes were half lidded and held volumes of affection for him.

 

“So I’ve been told.” Gaius grinned wolfishly before pecking at her lips lightly and repeatedly.

 

“I um, I think there’s a better place for this.” She lifted her hands to cup his face, pushing back lightly to tell him to stop.

 

“Oh?”

 

She nodded, slowly but surely, before peeling herself off of him. Wordlessly, she took his hand and started to make her way to his bedroom, her hold on him firm and sure.

 

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.

 

They fell on top of his bed with a soft thud, Olivia’s hair splayed around his dark sheets like a halo. Her dress was open, falling away from her like a silk robe, her skin dusted with a slight pink that gave her an ethereal glow.

 

He knelt over her, knees pressing against her hips, as he stared down, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

 

“Gaius, I’ve never…”

 

“I know.”

 

His smile was warm and understanding as he lowered himself down, careful not to put too much weight on her. He kissed the center of her forehead first, following a path straight down to her lips where he lingered. He pressed more weight on his forearms as her hands snaked around his neck to lift herself up, their bodies flush against each other, her sleeves slipping down on her bare shoulders.

 

He continued his exploration downwards, along the column of her throat, tongue darting out to lick a long stripe down her neck. Olivia shuddered, back arching and pressing herself against Gaius, belatedly realizing that he was still dressed.

 

“Unfair…” she mumbled, hands shaking as they moved towards the buttons of his shirt.

 

“Sorry, sorry.” Gaius laughed, pulling her up as he sat on his heels, helping as she unfastened all the buttons of his shirt. Without ceremony, he threw it on the ground with one hand, pushing down the sleeves of her dress and helping her out of her clothes.

 

In a sudden moment of embarrassment, Olivia crossed her arms over her chest, looking away as her hair tumbled down.

 

He reached out and cupped her chin, making her face him.

 

“Peaches, you’re beautiful. There’s absolutely nothing for you to be ashamed about.” He kissed her forehead again, Olivia relaxing, soothed. “Me on the other hand…”

 

“What, no! You look fine.”

 

“We all know I could do with more exercise instead of sitting around on my ass all day.”

 

“You do important work and you make time for exercise when you can.”

 

Gaius blinked, staring at Olivia’s response before breaking out into peals of laughter, clutching at his stomach.

 

“What…?”

 

“I didn’t think we’d be talking about body positivity and exercise right before…” Gaius brushed away the tears that formed with the back of his hand. “Never mind. It’s nothing. We can stop here if you want, if you’re not comfortable. Just, stay the night and we can go to bed?”

 

This time, Olivia smiled gently before reaching out to hold Gaius’ hands. Wordlessly, she placed them on her back, his fingers touching the clasp of her bra.

 

“Thank you for trying not to make this any more nerve wracking for me but I’m fine. I want to, even if I might be nervous.” A shiver ran down her spine when she felt his fingers twitch before they settled firmly on the closure. His pinkies were resting on her skin, warm and real. “I trust you know how to—”

 

“Yes.”

 

His eyes glimmered with renewed fervor as he undid her bra, closing in on her as he pushed her back against his headboard, the lacy piece slipping out from between them, her hands moving down to unbuckle his belt as they kissed. His knee pushed in the space between her legs, pushing them apart wide enough so he could settle between them. He kissed her one last time before they pulled apart for air, her hands undoing his belt at least, buckle clinking. Wordlessly, he got off the bed, his eyes never once leaving hers as he pulled off the rest of his clothes, gaze raking over her nearly nude form. It was only then he realized her underwear had been a matching set, Robin’s words ringing in his head. Fortunately or unfortunately, he wasn’t really sure.

 

_“Women seem to have victory underwear, the nice ones that they looked amazing in and, more importantly, matched.”_

 

Despite the terrible timing, his best friend’s voice was loud and clear in his head.

 

“You didn’t…”

 

Lightning shot straight through him, his painfully hard dick (but thankfully free from its confines) twitching at the thought that Olivia had expected and maybe even wanted this to happen from the beginning.

 

“I thought it would be nice… Oh God don’t tell me you don’t like it. I should have just worn my regular ones.” Olivia buried her face in her hands, ears bright red.

 

His gaze fell on her discarded bra before resting on the panties still on her, a deep rose brown lacy thing that complemented her skin tone beautifully. It felt like a crime he didn’t have enough time to appreciate the care with which she selected her undergarments.

 

“No, no, I liked them.” He climbed over her again, his knees pressing against her hips for stability. “If this is any indication.”

 

Olivia’s eyes widened as she peeked out at her boyfriend from in between her fingers, mouth agape when she felt him hard against her.

 

“But if that isn’t clear to you, let me show you.” He tugged at her wrist, bringing up her hand to his lips as he kissed her palm.

 

Before long, Gaius had started to kiss down her body once more, finally moving past her neck and in between the valley of her breasts, hands pushing her legs apart to give him space as he caught the waistband of her underwear with his teeth, pulling it down ever so slowly.

 

.

.

.

.

 

Olivia pressed her cheek against his chest, the both of them warm and sated and happy and in love. A companionable silence filled the room, his hands gently carding through her hair. Time almost seemed to stand still, if not for the faint clicking sound from his bedside clock. The moonlight filtered through his semi-sheer curtains, the blackout ones half drawn to reduce the sunlight in the mornings. It was surreal, this feeling, of wanting to move further into a relationship.

 

“You okay?” Gaius turned his head slightly to look down at Olivia, heart full. Sex had never felt this way before. He thought it would when he and Robin dated for a little bit, but there was always something off or awkward about it and they were certainly much better off as friends. He’d maybe gotten into one or two sort of serious relationships since then, but they were almost always more physical in nature and not quite emotional enough. He wasn’t touchy feely nor did he wear his heart on his sleeve but he knew relationships had to be made of stronger stuff for them to last, if his parents were anything to go by. He didn’t think of them much since moving out all those years ago but how irresponsible they were always weighed heavily on him. He promised himself if he ever did get into a serious relationship, serious enough to maybe even consider spending the rest of his life with someone, he’d do everything in his power to not make the same mistakes his parents did.

 

“Yeah, I’m okay.” She smiled, turning to look up at Gaius, skin still flushed prettily as she reached out to cup his cheek. “Thank you.”

 

“For what?” He covered her hand with his own, kissing the heart line on her palm before pressing her hand back against his cheek.

 

“For everything.” Olivia paused, biting her lower lip like she was nervous. Again.

 

“Peaches, you know you can tell me anything right.”

 

“I um, I just didn’t know how to phrase it is all.” She laughed quietly, eyes bright and soft at the same time, his heart clenching tightly at the sound.

 

He’d do anything to hear that for the rest of his life.

 

“I never thought I’d ever want to go the next step with anyone, which is why…” she trailed off, reddening further.

 

He kept quiet, knowing not to interrupt. This was as important to her as it was to him, in their own way.

 

“Which is why I’ve never slept with anyone before,” she finished, solemn. “And I know you have been with others, and that doesn’t bother me at all, but I always thought that somehow being a virgin was going to be a turn off for you.”

 

“What? Never.” Gaius leaned forward and kissed her lightly before resting back on his headboard. “I mean, you know my first time was with Bubbles, but I think we just both thought our love for each other was the romantic kind you know? Could have been all those emotions because of my parents, how Cassandra and Robin were the only ones there for me and took me in as one of their own. I don’t doubt I loved her romantically for a little while, but it was different and we’re happier now as friends.”

 

Olivia nodded, mouth parted slightly as she listened to him.

 

“Everyone else after? They were just flings or one-night stands, and we didn’t expect anything to come out of being together. That’s what doomed it I think. But you?” He smiled, leaning into her palm as he squeezed the back of her hand, eyes catlike and satisfied.

 

“Me?”

 

“I love you, Olivia. I love you and only you. You bring color and life into my world that I never thought possible and I’ll stay by your side for as long as you’ll have me.”

 

Her heart soared at his words, genuine and sincere and vulnerable, as he put his feelings out in the open. Leaning up, she cupped his other cheek and kissed him, soft, slow, sweet, warm, full of everything she felt for the man.

 

“I love you too, Gaius,” she breathed against his lips, pulling apart long enough just to let him know, shuddering as she felt his other hand drift to the small of her back to push her closer against him to deepen the kiss.

 

.

.

.

.

 

The rest of the week flew by quickly, the pair of them having set up something of a routine. They’d have breakfast out, Gaius up and about even at what he called the most ungodly hours ever, taking Whiskey with them before he dropped them off at the studio. Thankfully, the receptionists and other teachers adored dogs, and were surprised and elated at the idea that Olivia had gotten a pet with her boyfriend, though she quickly corrected them that they were just keeping an eye on their vacationing friends’ dog. But they all knew, knew that it was something more with the way Gaius looked at her and kiss her temple, lingering a moment longer than was typical, before leaving for work a few buildings down from their studio.

 

After her day at the studio was done, she’d swing back home with Whiskey, shower, eat a light snack, phone always nearby as she exchanged texts with Gaius. He always picked her up at her house for slightly late dinner, takeout, and they’d walk back to his apartment, her overnight bag slung across his shoulder. They’d wake up the next morning a little tired and sore, legs tangled between the sheets, her head resting on his upper arm, the rest of it pulling her close to him. Everything was perfect.

 

.

.

.

.

 

“You’re smiling like an idiot. Something must have happened while we were gone.” Chrom frowned, crossing his arms as he walked behind Robin.

 

“Just because I’m smiling widely that means something happened?” She looked over her shoulder, shit eating grin growing even wider.

 

“You never smile like _that_ unless something’s happened. Love, I know you better than you think,” he explained, a little exasperated but amused. Whatever happened it must’ve been enough to keep her in a good mood. “Besides, you only started smiling like that when you read that text from Olivia.”

 

“Oh? I didn’t notice.”

 

She stopped in front of Gaius’ door, still grinning.

 

“Want to know why?”

 

“Please. If it means I can either join in the shit eating grin sessions or roll my eyes and just let you go on your merry way.”

 

“Well…” Robin tugged Chrom close, tiptoeing to whisper in his ears. He pulled back, his expression a mix of shock and amusement and confusion. “What. They’re together anyway and she did mention having some trouble talking to Gaius about it!”

 

“Unbelievable.” Despite his admonition, he had a smile on his face. Shaking his head, he knocked on the door.

 

“She didn’t tell me much, except to say thank you for introducing her to Gaius.”

 

“Never thought I’d ever hear anyone say that.”

 

“Say what?” The door swung wide open, Gaius poking his head out. “Hi Blue, Bubbles.”

 

“Whiskey!” Robin crouched, reaching her arms out as the corgi bounded towards her.

 

“Was he good?” Chrom watched, amused, the rest of their dog’s things already packed up in the bag beside him.

 

“Absolutely. Olivia loved having him over while she was here.”

 

“Was she here the entire week?” The blonde stood up, eyes bright and sparkling, Whiskey running around between their legs like it was a maze.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Did she—”

 

“Yeah. She did. She absolutely did.” Gaius cut her off, cheeks a little red, as he turned his head to the size.

 

“Interesting.”

 

Chrom’s gaze flickered between the two. With Gaius’ reaction and how Robin enunciated her reply, there was something afoot.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes I did reuse a bit of some scenes from c20 of IaM to tie this in, since it takes place more or less at the same time just with different characters :o
> 
> This is Olivia’s [dress](https://bluewater.co.uk/shopping/product/57e9f25ab027/phase-eight-jody-floral-dress) and [these rose gold sneakers](https://www.keds.com/en/kickstart-matte-brushed-metallic/33050W.html?dwvar_33050W_color=WF58543) are her shoes for their date in Central Park! [These](http://www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-parachute-platform-heels/prd/9252071?affid=10607&transaction_id=1028e850a9fae97a45dc579e87a5b8&pubref=1023) are the shoes she changes into for their dinner :o
> 
> I had so much fun writing this and hope to write some more pieces in the IaM universe! Maybe they won’t be quite as long but I know I’ll be posting some more in the future :3
> 
> As usual, your kudos and comments are my lifeblood <3


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